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Brawl erupts at La Trobe Uni concert

Jared Lynch

A brawl at a Melbourne university has put two men in hospital and left a woman with head injuries, according to police.

About 20 people were involved in the melee, which erupted at an orientation week concert at Union Hall at La Trobe university’s Bundoora campus about 10.30pm on Wednesday.

A university spokesman confirmed the brawl was between a group of youths and crowd controllers. It is understood that no La Trobe University students were involved in the scuffle.

Clinton Smith, a medic who was at the scene, said the fight began after a crowd controller tried to remove a non-student from the event. Mr Smith said friends of the ejected youth then attacked the security guard.

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‘‘These idiots came in, they got full of grog and attacked the security,’’ Mr Smith said.

‘‘A couple of them got a touch up but they did more damage to the security guys than the security guys did to them.’’

A Victoria police spokeswoman said a 20-year-old Strathewen man received serious head injuries and a Hurstbridge man, 22, suffered minor head injuries. Both were taken to the Austin Hospital, she said.

The spokeswoman said a 21-year-old Eltham woman also received minor head injuries. But Mr Smith said he did not know of any woman who sought medical treatment at the event and said nobody was taken to hospital.

‘‘They refused to go to hospital and all they could talk about was coming back tonight to square up on the security guards.

‘‘If they did go to hospital, they would have found there own way there.’’

Mr Smith said the young people involved in the brawl were all tradies, including two plumbers, a bricklayer and a builder.

‘‘They were the ones who got injured, including a bloke who was a designated driver.’’

La Trobe University Student Union president Chris Wheeler said the fight was unfortunate, considering more than 1000 people attended the event.

Mr Wheeler said the orientation week festivities were open to non students because for many students it was there first year at La Trobe and it allowed them to bring along their friends.

The university spokesman said the crowd controllers were contractors and not members of the university staff.

Detectives from Darebin Crime Investigation Unit are investigating and are keen to speak to anyone who witnessed the melee.

People with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppers.com.au.